Liquid-level indicator.



J..J. TOOHEY.

LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1914 1,1 18,075. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

FEJ.

Ill/1 JOHN J. TOOHEY, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIQUID-LEVEL INDICATQR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24:, 1914s Application filed June 1a. 1914. Serial no. 845,007.

T all whomit may concern:

Be it known that-I, JOHN J. TOOHEY, a citizen of the United States, resi ding in Everett, in the county, of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Liquid-Level Indicators,of

which the following description, in connec- Y ticularly a supply tank located under the seat of the automobile.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple, ellicient and inexpensive apparatus for the purpose specified.

The particular features of the invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a sullficient portion of an automobile provided with an indicating apparatus embodying this invention, to en-- able it to be understood. Fi g. 2, a section on the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a detail in section on an enlarged scale of the indicator shaft shown in Fig.1, and Fig. =1, a plan of the indicator shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, (1 represents the front upright wall or board of the chauffeurs seat of an automobile of known construction and such as now in general use, and 1; represents the gasoleno supply tank, which is located behind the wall a and beneath. the chautf'eufs seat. The tank I) may be such as now commonly used and is provided with the inlet nozzle 0, which is normally closed by the cap (I. The tank I) in accordance with this invention has extended through its front upright wall or side 10, preferably midway of the. top 1) and bottom 13 of the tank, a shaft H, which is mounted to turn in a hearing sleeve or hub 15, provided with a flange 16. which is adapted to engage the inner surface of the. wall 10, said hubhaving its front end extended through said wall and provided with screw threads to be engaged by a nut 17". which is designed to engage the outer surface of the wall 10 and cooperates with thrtlange Hi to tirmly secure the hearing hub in fixed relation to said wall.

The shaft-1i is provided with an nlargement or collar 20, which cooperates with the inner end of the bearing hub 15 to form a fluid tight joint therewith, and said collar may be provided with a. conical front sun face 21, which engages 'a conical recess or seat 2:- in the end of the hub 15, and both of these surfaces may and preferably will be ground to fit-fluid tight, and thus-prevent leakage of gasolene out of the tank I) along the shaft 14:. The ground collar 20 is held to its seat by a helical spring 2A, which .encircles the shaft 11 outside of the tank and bears at one end against the front end of the hub 15 and at its other end against a nut on theshaft 14. The tension or pressure of the spring 24 may be regulated by means of the nut 25,which may be locked in its adjusted position by the nut 27. The front end of the shaft 11 is preferably reduced in diameter and is extended through the end wall or head 30 of a sleeve 26, secured to or forming part of the nut 17, and is also extended through the upright wall a of the seat and has fast to it a pointer 32, which may be provided at its free endwith a finger 33, see Fig. 4, which-is movablcover a scale 34; on a curved plate or strip which is secured to or forms part of a casing 36 secured to the wall a and provided with an opening in its top which is normally closed by a glass 37.

The shaft 14 within the tank I) has fastened to it a crank or arm 40, having secured to its lower end a. float 4-1, and said arm is made long enough, so that it extends from a vertical line through the shaft 14. at an angle of about 45, when the Qoat- 41 rests on the bottom of the tank, and by locating the shaft about midway of the height of the front wall of the tank, the movementof the float 41 and of the arm 40 is limited to about 90, the bottom wall 13 of the tank forming a stop for the downward movement of the float, and the top wall 12 forming a stop for the upward movement thereof.

In operation, the float 41 rises and falls with the liquid contents of the tank, and therebv rotates the shaft 14 so as,to move the pointer over the scale and thus indicate the level'of the liquid in the tank, the pointer 32 being visible to the chauffeur.

Provision may and preferably will be made for uotifving the chauffeur when the level of the liquid or gasolene. has been lowered to a predetermined point. and for this purpose the pointer 32 is adapted to engage a flat spring on the downward movement of the float, said pointer and spring being included in circuit with a mag- :netically operated bell 51. By removing the pointer 32, and the nuts 25, 27 from the shaft 14, the latter can be pushed into the tank, and then removed therefrom through a suitable hand hole (not shown) in the top thereof, if it should be desired to remove the float and shaft from the tank, and in assembling the apparatus, the float and shaft 14 may be inserted through said hand hole into the tank and the shaft pushed out through the bearing hub 15.

Claims:

1. The combination with a tank for containing a liquid, of a bearing sleeve extended through a side wall of said tank substantially near the vertical center thereof, a shaft extended through said bearing sleeve and provided with a collar which cooperates with the end of the bearing sleeve within the tank, means for holding the said collar into engagement with said sleeve to make a fluid tight joint therewith, a nut engaging the threaded end of the sleeve outside of the tank, a crank or arm fastened to the end of the shaft within the tank and extended from said shaft at an angle thereto, a float attached to said'crank, a pointer attached to the shaft outside of said tank, and a scale with which said pointer cooperates, substantially as described.

' 2. The combination with a tank for containing a liquid, of a bearing leeve extended through a wall of said tan and provided Cople: of nu: patent may be obtained tor with a flange to bear against the inner side of the tank, and with a threaded end extended outside of the tank, a nut engaging said threaded end and the outside of the tank to draw the flange against the side wall of the tank, a shaft extended through said sleeve and provided with a collar which cooperates with the end of the sleeve within the tank; means for holding the said collar into engagement with said sleeve to make a fluid tight joint therewith, a float connected with the shaft within the tank to effect rotation thereof, and an indicator connected with the portion of the shaft outside of said tank. 7

3. The combination with a tank for containing a liquid, of a bearing sleeve having a screw-threaded end extended through a wall of said tank, to the outside thereof, and having a flange between its ends to bear against a side wall of the tank within the latter, a nut to enga e the threaded end of the sleeve outside of the tank, a shaft extended through said sleeve, means for making a fluid-tight joint between the said shaft and sleeve, a float connected with the shaft within the' tank to effect rotation thereof and an indicator connected with said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. TOOHEY.

Witnessest' JAB. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY;

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

